Benzene test for the SIU unlicensed apprenticeship program

Maritime Employment
1

Well, I tried finding information on the test online but came up with nothing. What is the purpose of this test and how much does it cost??

2

It’s a simple blood test usually done once a year during the physical. You will need it to sail on tankers. It’s to measure the concentration you may have been exposed to

3

[QUOTE=UltimateMariner;83854]Well, I tried finding information on the test online but came up with nothing. What is the purpose of this test and how much does it cost??[/QUOTE]
The only physical you have to pay for is the first one when you join or start the apprentice program. After that, annual physicals, CG physicals benzene cards are free.

4

[QUOTE=brjones;83871]It’s a simple blood test usually done once a year during the physical. You will need it to sail on tankers. It’s to measure the concentration you may have been exposed to[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the information. What happens if one gets too much of it in their system? Do they have medicine for it?

5

If your benzene level gets too high you cant sail on tankers anymore. I think the cutoff is so low that you don’t need medicine, but it shows that you’re absorbing the benzene which is dangerous at higher levels.

6

Leukemia. No “medicine” can help you at that point.